Erotic as a Gateway to Joy

Last night I saw the most amazing modern dance performance.

Created by Gesel Mason, a Boulder-based (and formerly DC-based) choreographer, the piece is called anthithesis. On her website, Mason has this to say:

“antithesis collides the genres, bodies, and cultures of postmodern dance and erotic dance in order to challenge how female sexuality is perceived, performed, and (re)presented. The project is an embodied attempt to explore and mine the erotic – the sometimes messy, gritty, tactile, growling, chaotic, passionate and tender edges of female sexual expression and creativity.”

Photo Credit: Kelly Shroads Photography

The piece, which is staged “in multiple venues (from the concert stage, to the strip club or an alternate space)” was inspired by an essay written by Audre Lorde, called Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power

In the essay, which I’ll speak about in a subsequent post, Lorde talks about eroticism as “an internal sense of satisfaction to which, once we have experienced it, we know we can aspire.”

The essay and the performance clarified something for me I’d been trying to articulate.

Reclaiming sexuality in the aftermath of violation is not really about orgasms. Though that’s certainly a part of it.

It’s, ultimately, about being powerful.

As Lorde said: “Recognizing the power of the erotic within our lives can give us the energy to pursue genuine change within our world.”

Finding the erotic within can be as simple as asking yourself, deeply: “What would make me happy right now?” On this snowy, freezing day, what would make me happy is a hot lunch and staying inside all day—in my fuzzy slippers!

Here’s Audre Lorde reading her essay in the early 90s. There’s so much in this small piece of writing, enough to inspire an amazing dance performance. Maybe enough to inspire you too!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

About this Blog

This is a blog about healing from sexual violation, as well as from any other issue that can keep us from enjoying the full experience and expression of our sexuality. It’s inspired by my journey seeing 15 practitioners and trying 30 different modalities so I could rid myself of the last vestiges of my childhood sexual abuse. Along the way, I learned the cutting edge of trauma recovery, female pleasure, overcoming bedroom dysfunction, and having awesome relationships. The pink couch is where I share where I learned, and where I hear from you too. So pull up a chair…

Subscribe to Blog!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.